The Ultimate Guide to Brand Naming: Unveiling Industry Practices ✌️

A step-by-step guide with tips and strategies for successfully brand naming your brand

The ultimate guide to name your brand

You know what? Shakespeare said,

 "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose…."

Well, when he quoted this, he probably didn’t know that 9 out of 10 blogs and articles on Brand Naming will start with this quote. So, I’m also keeping the tradition alive.

But, according to me, there is a flaw in this theory. While changing something’s name might not change its underlying properties, but it might create confusion in our brain. As our brain is a complex network of millions of neurons and doesn’t work in isolation but through associations. And these associations build perception.

Someone rightly said that branding is nothing but creating a unique perception in the mind of your consumer about your brand.

(Now, don’t blame me for the Bharat vs India controversies.)

Naming isn't just throwing darts at a board or picking the first word that comes to mind. The easier it seems, the harder it is. Well, by saying that I mean, there is no “right way” to generate name ideas, but there are best industry practices and rules of thumb.

By sharing some processes and industry practices, I’ve learned—from my struggles as well as my success stories—I hope to make naming less of a challenging task for others by sharing it here.

The Process

Brief

So, where do you start? The brief, my friend. It's like the roadmap to naming success.

• What are you naming?
  

• A product, a service, a baby? (Just kidding, naming your baby is a whole different ball game).
  

• What vibes do you want the name to evoke?
  

• Who's your audience?

 

The process of naming your brand

Your tone and approach matter, too. And, oh, keep an eye on the competition; you don't want to end up sounding like the discount version.

 

Name storming (Generating Names)

Now, the fun begins. Generating names is like brewing a potion; you mix, you stir, and sometimes, you get something magical. Follow the rules of the naming game, use industry practices, and soon you'll have a list longer than your weekend to-do's.

 

For instance, let’s assume you are an Environmental Engineering Solution provider that resonates with sustainable living projects. The name should convey ideas like sustainability and landscaping.

Example of brainstorming for brand naming

Process – Begin your naming adventure by creating a mind map. In the creative world, we fondly call it a "dhobi list."

Looking at “Energy” and “Innovation,” you may feel you’ve opened up a new territory, beyond “Environment”—call it “how energies are created.”

Example of mind map for brand naming

Now you may dive deeper with compounding words, combining them with common words (prefixes, suffixes), coining alternate spellings.

Let’s see what we can get from the initial churnings.

• EcoYard

• Enviropedia

• Energent

• Ecosphere

• EcoLogic

• Enventive

• EcoWave

• Ecotech

Once you’ve exhausted ideas pulled straight from the brief and any other initial thoughts, start thinking about synonyms, metaphors, movies, books, idioms, and other concepts related to those in the brief.

 

I hope this truly cleared your mind regarding how to initiate the process.

 

The name you land on will shape your brand identity and positioning. It needs to encapsulate your essence and draw in your audience while being versatile enough to grow with you over time.

👉👉 Popular Types of Brand Names (Approach and Construct)

You know it’s a great idea to start with a clear understanding of brand name types to narrow the search for that perfect company name.

 

Before jumping into brand name development, it’s important to understand the different types of names. Why? Because without this knowledge, how would you know which types of brand names are going to connect best with your target audience.

 

Different types of brand names have a specific impact on your customers. While evocative brand names get your customers thinking, more descriptive names can help you appear more transparent and trustworthy.

Welcome to the universe of different types of brand names.

➡️ Descriptive brand names - Cartoon Network, General Motors, Pizza Hut

➡️ Abstract brand names - Oreo, Vivo, Kodak

➡️ Evocative brand names - Nike, Amazon, Apple

➡️ Invented brand names - Google, Tumblr, Pixar

➡️ Lexical Brand Names - Coca-Cola, Burger King, Blackberry

➡️ Acronymic brand names - IBM, HP, UNICEF

➡️ Geographical brand name - Asian Paints, Delhivery, Bank of India

➡️ Founder brand names - Ford, Chanel, Adani

➡️ Compound brand names - Fedex, Instagram, PayPal

➡️ Playful brand names - Yahoo, Mailchimp, Monster

➡️ Alphanumeric brand names - Forever 21, Dream 11, 99 acres

➡️ Metaphor brand names - Jaguar, Dove, Safari

➡️ Technical brand names -  Microsoft, Pepsi, Pantene

➡️ Historical brand names - Tesla, Starbucks, Johnson & Johnson

➡️ Modern brand names - Uber, Lyft, Bumble

 

Types of Brand Naming Approaches

Understanding the various different types of company names and how they work is often the first step in making sure you’re branding your business correctly. Although, even with this understanding, you might find it difficult to come up with the perfect name alone.

⚠️ Things you need to take into account while naming a brand

•   A name can only say one or two things.
  

• There is no “right or wrong name”. You have to build on your name.
  

• We can’t choose a final name until we know it’s viable for use.
  

• Make it simple, memorable and interesting

Before I conclude, read out some things you have to avoid while naming a brand.

⛔️ Things you should avoid while choosing

a name

Difficult Names: Don't be a name snob. Your audience should get it without a decoder ring. Creative spellings are cool, but not if Google can't understand you.

Names that are understood by a few: Unless you're forming an exclusive club with people like Shashi Tharoor, keep your name inclusive and easily pronounceable.

Obscure names might massage your intelligence, but they won't help your business. Remember “when in Rome, do what Romans do”.

A Name ≠ A Brand: Your name is not your brand; it's the starting point. Invest in building a brand narrative. Give your name a personality, a story, and a purpose.

 

Final thoughts

Feeling the weight lift off?

I'm betting yes. Naming isn't the riddle it used to be. Now, don't dive into random brainstorming like it's a pool party. You need a brief. You can't jump from 1 to 5 without some steps in between, can you?

From my rollercoaster of naming adventures, here's a nugget: You, the business owner, are the MVP in this game. No agency or creatives can outshine your brilliance. Trust yourself, and you'll ace it!

And yes, don’t forget to share your brand names with me. I’d love to know how this guide helped you.

I wish you good luck! 👍👍👍